28 Coins
by Ohtar Vicky
Summary: In which little Estel tells Elrond about his day trip to town with Legolas and ends up learning about Dragons ... or in which the author consumes far too much 28p chocolate!


_**Author's Note;**__ I know I should be working on my other story … but this is what 28p chocolate does to you! :D Ok, so, whenever there are …'s between paragraphs this is when I am switching between past and present. Hope this isn't too confusing!_

_And yeah, it's long!_

_Please review and enjoy! :D__

A little boy sat on his foster father's lap as he read to him. To say the boy 'sat' would be being a little unkind to the poor Elven Lord as, to him, the boy's 'sitting' was a true test of his skill to stop the squirming boy from toppling off his knees.

The boy could not deal with the whole concept of 'sitting', let alone sitting still, and believed he would never understand how anyone could bear to waste away a perfectly good afternoon just sitting and reading.

"_Ada_! Guess what me and Legolas did today!" burst from his lips, certain the Elf Lord would never guess.

Elrond closed the book and smiled down at his child.

"What did you do _penneth_?" He asked, sure he would never guess.

"Well," The boy began, finally leaning comfortably into his father to begin his tale, "It all started when Legolas had to go into the town and I said I wanted to come too." …

… "Legolas! Please let me come too! _Ada_ won't mind, I know he won't! Not as long as I'm with you! And I promise I'll be especially good! Please please please!"

Legolas chuckled at the barefoot boy now dancing around his legs.

"You may come _penneth_, but you need to have your boots on and be ready to leave as soon as I ask your father if you can come." he challenged.

The boy's face was a veil of despair.

"But - But I have to find them and tie them and then find my coat and then find my-"

"Well then you'd best hurry little Estel! For Elrond is in my sight and it does not take long to ask a simple question!"The boy was running off to his room before the Elf had even finished his sentence…

… "So you went to the town my child!" Elrond said, remembering Legolas' request, realising just how well his small son knew him. He had, of course, acquiesced, just as long as Legolas stayed with him.

"Yes!" The boy said, frustrated in a way only a child could be at having to explain an adult's incompetence, "But it's what we did in town that's the good part!" he stressed. "I got my stuff but I was really slow compared to Legolas. But I always am compared to him. I don't think I'll ever be that fast …"

… The Elven Prince had already packed a bag of food for their lunch, asked Elrond to allow him to take his littlest son to town, donned his cloak and had his money securely fastened to his belt, ready to leave.

The boy almost had his shoes tied.

It was a start.

Legolas smiled warmly down at him, "I'll wait little Man," he teased…

… "When we finally got to the town, people kept looking at him weirdly."

"Because he's an Elf, son." Elrond began to explain.

"No," The young boy corrected, "It was because he was blonde."…

… "Legolas," The boy whispered, keeping close to his friend, "People are staring."

"I know." He said calmly with a gentle smile in Estel's direction.

"But their mouths are hanging open and everything!" He emphasised, staring back at the people, the exact expression he was describing etched on his own face too.

Legolas chuckled and bent down, closing his mouth.

"I know." He repeated. "Let them."

The boy nodded and they continued on their way down the street until they passed a certain humble shop that was the favourite of the younger and a very much liked shop of the elder.

"Oh Legolas, can we go in? Pretty pretty please?" Estel begged.

Legolas laughed and nodded, not believing he would ever be able to refuse his young friend when he begged.

They entered, pushing open the dark wooden door to the bell of a wind chime and the gentle hint of a beautiful amber fragrance. The shop was humid, the heat kept in by the dark brown wood that lined the walls.

The shop held pets, insects, butterflies and many interesting plants, Estel's favourite being an enchanting carnivorous one that ate anything it could get it's plant like jaws around. It also produced beautiful fiery red and orange flowers that, if you could get a hold of them, were said to be the ultimate gift of love. In addition the shop also was supplied with fine jewellery and gemstones, books, herbs and some very unusual kinds of food. One could often also find many miscellaneous items dotted around the shop too and, if lucky, they would turn out to be useful someday.

"Hey Boron!" Estel chirped happily to the squat Man behind the counter as he bounced happily into the shop.

"Why, it's little Estel!" The Many boomed, delighted to see the him again.

Boron was a stout, bulky Man with a mass of thick ginger brown hair under his chin and, albeit not so thick a coating, atop his head.

His bushy beard, and many of the townspeople, bespoke Dwarven blood and neither Legolas nor Estel doubted it for a single second.

Legolas inclined his head politely towards the shopkeeper, Boron gave a deep chuckle and replied in kind as, although the two had met frequently, neither really knew the other very well, nor had much in common save the liking for the small boy now chattering openly between the two of them about that morning's incident.

"They were all staring so much!" Estel demonstrating how they looked as he talked, his eyes going wide and his mouth hanging open in a lopsided fashion, making Boron grin.

"I'm sure they were not that bad!" He laughed.

"No, I think Estel's description is quite accurate." Legolas answered, a smile dancing across his lips.

"But they've never been like that with Dan and Ro!" The boy insisted, puzzled, as he gazed into glass cases containing the many strange creatures found in Boron's shop. "They're Elves too," he pointed out, pausing in his actions to think it over. "Plus they're identical too so people should really stare more at them. Though maybe that's because they don't know just how weird they are." The boy mused.

Boron and Legolas laughed, Boron's deep, rich laugh harmonising perfectly with Legolas' lighter, more musical one. Estel decided he liked the sound of the two together and decided to endeavour to make it happen more often.

"Maybe they should." Boron said cheerfully, "but maybe it was something else they were staring at, not just the Elfness in general."

Estel turned and looked at his friend through the fish tank in front of him, his puzzled look seemingly magnified from the other side. 'What else was there to stare at?' he wondered.

Boron caught Legolas' eye and raised and all knowing eyebrow, causing the Elf to raise one back, a slightly embarrassed half smile slipping onto his face as his cheeks turned a gentle shade of pink.

Estel grinned, they got along better than either would care to admit.

Estel directed his attention once more to scrutinising every detail of his friend, starting from his feet which he knew to be slightly smaller than his brothers'.

Boron opened his mouth, intending to change the subject to save the poor Elf's embarrassment of the boy's intense scrutiny when suddenly words burst from Estel's mouth.

"I know!" He exclaimed. "You're blonde!"

Legolas blinked, not expecting that to be the answer the young boy had come up with.

Boron on the other hand tilted his head, "You know I think that's it." he said, "There's barely any blonde people around these parts, it's not too common over in my neck of the woods." he explained to Legolas, covering the Elf's surprise nicely, disguising it with confusion…

… "See _Ada_," he said, poking his father. "There's barely any blonde folk around and Legolas' hair isn't just blonde it's really really blonde so they'd stare way more!"

Elrond laughed at the boy's reasoning and nodded, knowing it would have been one of the reasons but probably not the main one. And that it was not the time to try and explain the main reason to the small boy still enthusiastically poking him as the story continued…

Legolas grinned at the triumphant look on his friend's face that suddenly turned once more to fascination and curiosity as something caught his eye.

"What's that?" He asked, darting to the counter and pointing into the glass case under it, the one that held the most precious, interesting, and expensive, objects that Boron had in his shop.

"Ah! That, my little friend, is a Dragon," he began to explain, bringing it out for him to see.

"I know that bu-"

"Hush child and let me finish!" Boron cut the boy's interruption short with one of his own, with a fond smile on his face and no trace of irritation in his voice.

Estel ducked his head to hide a grin as the large Man mimicked swatting his head with his hand.

"Anyway," Boron continued, "This is a very rare dragon statuette, based on real sightings of the wondrous beasts. There were only ever three or four statues like this ever made."

"Three or four?" The boy quizzed.

"Well there iss allegedly four Dragons." He said, "The Black Onyx, the one I have here, plus the Amethyst, the Rhodonite and, allegedly, the Sunstone."Legolas was now peering, intrigued, at the little dragon sculpture, trying to imagine it in the other stones Boron was saying. He bit his lip and his right hand unconsciously strayed to his satchel.

Neither Boron nor the child noticed, their attentions held by the elaborately carved black beast in front of them.

"This one is the Black Onyx," Boron was saying, "But you see his eyes?" The young boy nodded, gazing spellbound at the glittering green eyes.

"Malachite they are. Beautiful, aren't they? And along the edge of his wings, see how they sparkle? These are diamonds. Now there are three kinds of diamonds in here, first, the black diamond, then the grey and here, the tips of his wings, are beautiful crystal diamonds."Estel stared in awe at the wonderful figurine, the convoluted, meticulous details that covered the Dragon's every feature must surely have taken years to perfect.

"That is the same diamond that covers the tip of his tail too is it not?" Legolas mused, he had not his father's immense love of jewels but they did interest him in many ways.

Boron grinned, "Indeed it is," he confirmed, "Cut from the very same rock. You have a good eye." He told Legolas approvingly.

Estel broke his stare from the statuette to smile up at his blond Elven friend, quickly darting his gaze back to the beautiful carving.

"How do you know it's a 'he'?" The boy asked.

Boron considered the child's question. "I don't!" he answered, truthfully, "I don't think even the maker knew! Dragons were very mysterious creatures remember, not many people got a good, up close, look at them!"

Estel nodded, understanding but frowning. He hated not knowing.

Legolas placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. In Mirkwood, there were a few paintings of the great dragon Smaug and other dragons like him but barely any had been close enough to see the necessary details to determine the gender of the dragon. And those that had had not come out of it well.

He too, however, was interested in Dragons. Their power, will and ferocity caught the Elf's attention but what held it was how these wise creatures differed from all other beasts with these same traits. They did not attack the people as food or for territory, nor for being too close, though they were prone to now. They attacked in spite. They attacked in, what they believed to be, self defence. They feared the beings that walked on two legs, such insignificant things compared to the wonders of the winged beasts, and attacked them rather than be attacked themselves. Their helplessness fascinated the Elf.

Boron was still talking of the other Dragons in existence.

"They are almost identical to this one but made from different stones, save the eyes. The eyes are always made of malachite. I never knew why the makers didn't change that."

"Who made them?" Estel asked, as usual full of questions.

"Why, the only peoples to have ever gotten close to a Dragon my young friend!"

The boy still looked puzzled.

"The Elves!"

Estel blinked, startled.

"Really?"

"Yes!"

"Really!"

Legolas laughed, "Yes, _penneth_. Really."

"But the Elves of where?" The boy asked.

Boron started to answer but found that he had none. He knew it had been the Elves, despite first suspecting the Dwarves, as they would be the only ones to have ever been so close to see the fine details of the Dragon that were carved on the statues. No Dwarf had ever seen a Dragon and none would ever think to ask an Elf for help.

It was Legolas who answered for him.

"Rivendell, Lothloirien and Mirkwood all made one sculpture, each slightly different in their own ways, in order to preserve the knowledge of the Dragons and to honour them. The fourth sculpture came from one of the three regions making an additional sculpture as a present to the Men of Gondor. However, they got greedy." Legolas said, his voice bearing an edge to it as he finished…

… The boy paused after that, the poking, thankfully, had ceased long ago as he had been describing the Dragon, pondering.

"Did you know about these Dragons _Ada_?"

"Yes, Estel, I did."

"Did Rivendell make the fourth Dragon?"

"No, Estel, we did not." Elrond responded, memories surrounding the Dragons coming back to him.""Which one did Rivendell make?" He asked.

"The one Boron has, the Black Onyx." The Lord of Rivendell sighed as he remembered the beautiful thing that had sat in the Halls of Fire, often catching his attention. He remembered too, how it was stolen from him.

But the boy had already started on his story once more…

… Estel nodded thoughtfully, "That was generous of the Elves." He said.

"It was," Boron agreed, "What do you mean 'they got greedy'?" He asked the Elf, wanting to know more of the tale himself.

Legolas paused, thinking of his little friend that stood beside him.

"They asked for more and when we would not make more they decided to try and make copies of them, but none had the talent nor time that the Elves had. Eventually, I suppose they just ran out of patience." Legolas said.

The Elf had been careful not to reveal exactly what had happened to them to Estel but Boron understood. They had been stolen from the Elves. And now they were lost.

"So how much is it?" Legolas said, changing the subject and attempting to recreate the happy, warm atmosphere Boron's shop usually held.

"I am selling this exquisiteness for twenty eight gold coins." Boron said.

Estel whistled. That was a lot of money.

"A fair price." Legolas agreed then, to Boron and Estel's amazement, reached for his satchel.

"I'll take it."…

… "He bought it?" The Elven Lord interrupted.

Estel grinned, bouncing off his foster father's lap and tugging on his hand, "Yep!"

Elrond, stunned, got to his feet and followed the little boy who brought him straight to the Halls of Fire. There, above the great fire, there sat the Black Onyx Dragon, back in it's rightful place.

"I believe that is where it used to sit." Legolas' musical voice danced around the halls, the echo accentuating the fact that the statue was finally back where it belonged.

"Legolas! I … You …" The Elven Lord found he had no words to thank the young Elf who was now standing beside him, a large grin on his face.

"I remembered visiting when I was very young and it had always sat there. I remember I loved to see it sparkle when the light caught it at just the right angles and when I saw it, I knew it needed to be brought back," He smiled, "It's a part of Rivendell, and belongs here."

Elrond still had no words and so pulled the younger Elf into a hug, his grip like a vice, muttering his thanks over and over.

Estel grinned to see his father so happy. He hadn't understood at the time why Legolas had spent so much money for it, after all, there had been other things that had caught the Elf's eye that had been much cheaper that he still hadn't bought. But now he understood.

The Elven Lord released Legolas and proceeded to lift the young boy by his side into his arms. He kissed his forehead and, knowing that he spotted it, thanked him too.

They stood, side-by-side, in peaceful silence, gazing at the glittering figurine.

"My father told me," Legolas said, his voice music in the silence, "That each of the Dragons hold one of their traits in their making. That the stones they're made of each symbolises what the Elves see them to be."

Elrond nodded, "'Tis true." he said.

Estel frowned, "Like what?" He asked.

"Black Onyx is supposed to help with will power," Elrond explained, "And so the symbol of the Black Onyx Dragon is that they are beings of immense power of will and heart."

There was a pause as the Elven Lord fell silent in thought and so Legolas took over.

"The Amethyst Dragon symbolises the anger and ferocity that the Elves saw in them. That one was made in Lothlorien where dragons could not enter and none had ever seen them. They had heard the tales of the fire they spat out and the lives they stole and so they chose to create their Dragon using amethyst as it's meant to combat aggression. The malachite in their eyes symbolises pain. Each Dragon's pain is different, though the stone is the same. The Lothlorien people's malachite eyes symbolises the pain the dragon sees as he rages."

The little boy nodded, he understood. Dragons had always been powerful, angry creatures to him too. He feared ever having to meet, or worse, fight, a dragon and hoped that it would never happen.

"It was the Elves of Mirkwood that made the other two Dragons. They made the Rhodonite Dragon and the Sunstone Dragon. The Rhodonite Dragon still sits in my father's Throne Room today, the only one that was never taken. Rhodonite is meant to help heal a broken heart. No one fully understands dragons but we believe that they've all broken hearts from loss. Their pain is their own, the pain they feel."

The Elf's words struck something in Estel. He found he understood. Like any being with a heart, the dragons must also grieve.

"And the Sunstone Dragon?" The boy tentatively asked.

A faint smile danced across his lips. "The Sunstone was made for the Men. Sunstone lifts the spirit and we wished that they could see a dragon as doing the same. There's nothing like seeing a dragon in flight. They're beautiful, magnificent creatures and when they're flying, there's nothing that can stop the feelings of admiration and hope. We wished for the Men to see them like this too, but they never did. The pain here, is the pain of the Elves. Spirits are darkened to see the dragons destroyed and the Men continued to do so, even after our gift. When the other Dragons started to go missing, the Elves took the Sunstone Dragon back from the Men and it too remains in my father's Throne Room."

Elrond smiled. Thranduil would often talk of the Dragons, he was sure, but there was one detail missing.

"The pain in the eyes of the Black Onyx Dragon is the pain of all others who have never seen such a wondrous creature." He said, taking Estel by surprise.

He had never thought that he would ever be sad to never see a dragon. He had spent his life wary of them and thankful that none resided near Rivendell but now he wasn't so sure he was thankful.

The two Elves watched the boy, glad smiles spreading over their faces.

The boy now understood that the purpose of a life was to see all it had to offer, to never forget that, like the dragons, everything belonged somewhere and that, like the Dragons, there was always someone waiting to help him back to where he belonged.


End file.
